Gorilla fund makes councillors jealous

Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

City Councillors expressed their jealousy on Tuesday over four gorillas from England that will receive Rp 3.2 billion annually from the city budget, while their own demand for life insurance worth Rp 4.3 billion was rejected.

"We are sad that Rp 3.2 billion has been allocated for four gorillas, while our demand for insurance for 85 'gorillas' here was rejected," councillor Azis Boeang told reporters.

Being upset, Azis termed the 85 city councillors "gorillas."

Azis, a member of City Council Commission C for budgetary affairs, questioned the huge sum of money for the gorillas, saying the giant apes would not contribute to the city's revenue.

He revealed that the Rp 3.2 billion would be used to support the gorillas, such as providing their daily food.

The city's Ragunan zoo is itself still unable to contribute to the city's revenue.

"It's ironic that the councillors who managed to increase the city's budget were not insured while four gorillas were given huge attention," Azis of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle said.

He regretted that the city councillors agreed to the allocation of the funds for the gorillas against their own will.

"We were forced to agree with the allocation of the funds," he said.

Life insurance was the last request made by the city councillors, who have been criticized for making too many demands. Among their facilities were foreign trips, cars, and graduate and postgraduate studies. Earlier, they had also asked for a new building equipped with a health center, including a sauna.

Another councillor, Ridho Kalamuddin, said the gorillas, from the Howletts and Port Lympne animal park in Kent, which were expected to arrive here next month, would have a huge sum of money a day spent on each of them from the city budget.

"Can you imagine how much money we would need if the gorillas live here for 50 years?" Ridho of the United Development Party said.

He said the city administration urged the council to agree the allocation of the funds since the gorillas would increase the zoo's reputation.

He questioned the decision to give a subsidy of Rp 3.2 billion a year for the gorillas' food, given the current economic crisis here.

"The foreign parties, which are sending the gorillas, should cover their food costs, not just their enclosure. It (the food) should not be paid for by the city," Ridho told reporters.

The four gorillas, Kihi, Kimbou, Kijou and Kumao, were originally scheduled to arrive here earlier this month, but the arrival was delayed due to security concerns in the wake of the anti-US rallies here.

The delivery of the gorillas has been arranged and financed by an animal lovers' foundation established by the late Mrs. Puck Schmutzer.

The foundation has built a giant enclosure for the gorillas, costing Rp 10 billion, in Ragunan zoo.